Some colleges and universities are trying to measure non-cognitive traits to find “diamonds in the rough,” but so far high school grades, backed by test scores, are the most accurate predictors of college success.

In a week linked to sensors, a student’s electrodermal activity, a way to measure emotion, cognition and attention, nearly flatlined during classes, blogs Joi Ito. (Here’s a pdf of the research paper.) However, the student was active in labs and study sessions — and sleep. “Obviously, this is just one student and doesn’t necessarily generalize,” notes Ito, who directs MIT’s Media Lab.